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Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the culinary industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. The video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Culinary and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in the traditionally male-dominated culinary field. |
Career Options for Women -- Culinary:
This 24-minute video features profiles of three women with successful careers in the culinary industry:
- Josee Bagdadi, a gourmet butcher
- Heather Irvine, a commercial baker specializing in artisan breads
- Lisa Gardin, an apprentice chef who plans to open her own restaurant one day
Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.
Meet the role models featured in the Culinary video:
Josee: Gourmet Butcher
Josee Bagdadi is a gourmet butcher at the Place Du Parc Metro, a food store. Josee debones, cuts, slices and grinds meat. She prepares rump roasts and fancy/expensive types of meat. She also advises customers on how to cook meats and gives them recipes.
Josee used to work at the cash register and deli counter. She noticed a posting for a trainee butcher. She took the opportunity and enrolled in a 9 month butcher course and received her diploma in butcher sciences.
According to Josee, it is generally difficult to find good butchers. She feels that women have a lot to offer in this field. Josee admits that in a male-dominated career like this, you have to be tough emotionally to succeed as a female butcher. However, she gets along really well with her coworkers and in particular, the many customers that value her work. Not surprisingly, it is a particular bonus to understand cooking.
One of Josee's clients is a doctor, who, seeing her dexterity, suggested she become a surgeon. Older women congratulate her. Josee loves knowing that she helped clients, and that they had a great meal. She knows her regulars and what they want.
Heather: Commercial Baker
Heather Irvine is a baker's helper for Terra Breads. Her job is to bake loaves of bread, pastries, and focaccia. She really enjoys every part of her job, especially the end result! She says, “For anyone who enjoys working with food, to see the end result so quickly is really great. Also, it is wonderful to see people enjoying the results of what you just did.”
Sometimes the hours are a bit tiring for Heather, but she doesn't have much of a problem with it, as she can usually adjust her sleeping pattern quite easily. “It's hard work but very rewarding. If you like working with food it is a great job.”
Heather's education included a ten-month baking program at a community college. Her current wage will increase with more experience. There are also further certifications that Heather can earn to advance her career.
Heather believes that this is a good industry to be in. There are many opportunities for baking fresh breads in restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, and catering companies. And she feels that artisan breads will never be replaced by automated factories. Heather's future aspirations include operating a catering business from her home.
Lisa: Apprentice Chef
Lisa Gardin is in year first year as an apprentice chef at a hotel. Her duties include working at the pastry station preparing desserts. She also makes complimentary cookies for the hotel rooms and biscotti for the cappuccino bars. For the afternoon tea service between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm she prepares seven different petit fours. For dinner, she makes dessert soufflés.
Lisa found her interest in cooking when she took part in a student co-op program in 11th grade. After completing the program, the chef hired her. Her apprenticeship involves taking college courses for one month each year at a community college. Lisa admits that the food industry is not easy to be in - you either love it or hate it! She currently has a great chef, but often finds herself as the only female in the kitchen. There are various food industry associations and some working environments are unionized. Lisa is paid for 40 hours of work, but she often works 60.
Once Lisa completes her apprenticeship, she plans to travel throughout Europe. Ultimately, she would like to open her own restaurant - every chef's dream!
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
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